The present invention relates to an information management device and method, and more particularly relates to an information management device and method for monitoring in a quick and reliable manner whether or not a file has been updated.
FIG. 1 shows an example configuration of a related information management device. As shown in FIG. 1, each user terminal is connected to the various servers via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The users then access servers as necessary and receive the desired information provided by the servers.
Information provided by each of the servers is updated as necessary. It is then necessary for each user to know whether or not files saved on each server have been updated. The following method is well known as a current method for letting the user know of file updating.
In a first method, each server keeps a list of users that access files that the server itself manages. Then, when a file is updated, data for the updated file is automatically transferred to the users listed.
In a second method, rather than transferring data for updated files to each other, a message showing that information has been updated is transferred from the server to each user via electronic mail.
Further, in a third method, each user accesses each server as necessary with whether or not a file has been updated being confirmed each time.
The first method, however, puts a load on each server and is difficult to realize when the number of users increases.
In the second method, the load on the server is reduced when compared with the first method because only messages are transferred, but even this puts management demands on the server that result in a large load.
Further, in the third method the user makes accesses as necessary. There is therefore a gap between the timing of the server updating the file and the file being received by the user and each user therefore cannot obtain the newest information.
As the present invention sets out to resolve these problems, the update conditions of files monitored by the users are to be made known in a rapid and reliable manner without putting a load on the server.